By Em Kieffer
A newer member of Toronto’s Urbane Cyclist, this was Em Kieffer’s first CWCF Conference.
Attending the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation Conference in Quebec City this November as a representative of Urbane Cyclist was a rewarding and inspiring experience. Held primarily in the beautiful Monastère des Augustines, the event brought together a wide variety of co-operative workers to share their experiences and learn under the theme “stronger together”.
It was encouraging to see so many dedicated to upholding cooperative principles and values, and to witness the growing diversity within the co-op community. I was particularly impressed by the workshop on horizontal decision-making facilitated by Percolab, which provided a valuable framework and opportunity for attendees to discuss and learn about how to make decisions in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.
A highlight was Karine Awashish’s engaging presentation, “Cooperation for Self-Determination in Indigenous Communities,” which provided a valuable Indigenous perspective and pushed us to continue decolonizing the movement.
I was struck by the passion, commitment, and spirit of collaboration among attendees as we work to advance the cooperative cause and build a thriving solidarity economy.